Wildfires erupt as record heat bakes the Southwest
Wildfires continue to spread in southern California and other parts of the Southwest amid a record-setting heat wave.
On Monday, plumes of smoke from two fires were visible from downtown Los Angeles.
By Tuesday morning, several hundred people had been evacuated from the foothill suburbs of Los Angeles as two blazes threatened to merge into one larger fire.
You May Also Like
Record heat contributed to the wildfires, as did a severe drought that continues in California and other neighboring states.
A heat dome comprised of an intense, sprawling area of high pressure sat on top of the Southwest for a third straight day. Although it shows some signs of weakening, the heat dome may intensify again by early next week, raising the possibility of a prolonged hot and dry weather pattern in an already parched region.
Firefighters are making some headway in containing fires across the Southwest, though exceedingly hot temperatures in the region aren't helping.
Crews have made progress containing a week-old fire near Santa Barbara, California, while other blazes burned wide swaths across Arizona and New Mexico, where firefighters also faced blistering temperatures.
In central New Mexico, a 28-square-mile fire that erupted last week and destroyed 24 homes in the Manzano Mountains south of Albuquerque is showing signs of slowing down.
In eastern Arizona, a fire doubled to nearly 42 square miles and led officials to warn a community of 300 residents to prepare to evacuate.
Deadly heat
Temperatures climbed to record levels from Los Angeles County eastward into New Mexico, with records toppling in Las Vegas, Bettles, California, Death Valley and other locations.
At least four heat-related deaths have been reported in Arizona alone, with the death toll expected to rise due primarily to dehydration and heat stroke.
Here are some noteworthy heat records set Monday as tracked by the National Weather Service:
Blythe Airport, California, hit 124 degrees Fahrenheit, which was the hottest temperature on record at that location.
Palm Springs reached 122 degrees Fahrenheit, or 50 degrees Celsius, which tied the monthly temperature record.
In Needles, California, the high temperature reached 125 degrees Fahrenheit, which was a monthly record for June, beating the old record of 123 degrees on June 29, 2013. It also tied the all-time hottest temperature recorded there in any month.
The overnight low temperature in Las Vegas failed to fall below 86 degrees Fahrenheit, which was the warmest low temperature for the date.
A record daily high temperature was set in Phoenix, where the high temperature was 116 degrees, beating the old record of 115 degrees.
A record high temperature of 111 degrees Fahrenheit was recorded in Burbank, California, which tied the June monthly record first set in 1976.
Excessive heat warnings are in effect through Wednesday in parts of Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California, and while temperatures are expected to drop beginning on Thursday, more extreme heat is forecast by early next week.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
The Associated Press contributed reporting.
Andrew Freedman is Mashable's Senior Editor for Science and Special Projects. Prior to working at Mashable, Freedman was a Senior Science writer for Climate Central. He has also worked as a reporter for Congressional Quarterly and Greenwire/E&E Daily. His writing has also appeared in the Washington Post, online at The Weather Channel, and washingtonpost.com, where he wrote a weekly climate science column for the "Capital Weather Gang" blog. He has provided commentary on climate science and policy for Sky News, CBC Radio, NPR, Al Jazeera, Sirius XM Radio, PBS NewsHour, and other national and international outlets. He holds a Masters in Climate and Society from Columbia University, and a Masters in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University.
